Hurricane Isaias Leaves at Least 2 Dead and About 780,000 Without Power

Hurricane Isaias has been blamed for at least two deaths after it hit the Gulf Coast on Friday night as a Category 2 storm, NPR reported. About 780,000 power customers in Florida, Alabama and Georgia were still without electricity as of 11:50 a.m. ET Saturday, according to the monitoring site Poweroutage.us.

Emergency crews are surveying damage in Florida and Alabama. Officials warn that the threat of flash flooding continues, mainly farther inland, and forecasters say tornadoes could spin off from the system.

The key numbers behind Isaias

• 2 deaths: NPR confirmed at least two storm-related deaths, one in Escambia County, Fla., and one in Jefferson County, Ala., which includes Birmingham.
• 105 mph winds: The National Hurricane Center said Isaias came ashore near Destin, Fla., with winds of this speed at about 8:30 p.m. local time Friday.
• 780,000 customers: This is how many power customers across the three states were without power as of 11:50 a.m. ET Saturday. The figure had been closer to 900,000 earlier in the day.
• 16,000 utility workers: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said this many workers were trying to restore power.
• 5 feet of storm surge: That was less than the 6 to 9 feet forecasters had said was possible if landfall coincided with peak high tide. The storm arrived about two hours before high tide in Destin.
• 35 mph winds: By 5 a.m. local time Saturday, the downgraded post-tropical storm had sustained winds of this speed as it moved through Alabama.

How the two deaths happened

In Escambia County, in the far west of the Florida Panhandle, a rescue team found a person pinned under a large tree shortly before 9 p.m. local time Friday, according to Sgt. Melony Peterson of the county Sheriff's Office. She said by email that the victim was inside the home when the tree fell.

In Jefferson County, Ala., Emergency Management Agency Director Jim Coker told NPR the county had a storm-related death overnight. He said a tree fell on a single-family home.

Why it matters for people in the storm's path

The most immediate effect is the loss of power. DeSantis said that in Santa Rosa, Holmes, Washington and Walton counties, more than 80% of residents were without power. He said crews began work as early as 3 a.m. Saturday and were also clearing trees from main roads. Both I-10 and Route 98 were open as of Saturday morning, along with all state bridges, he said.

In Jefferson County, Ala., the emergency management agency said multiple trees and power lines were down across the county. It urged residents to avoid unnecessary travel while crews clear roads and restore service.

The storm's reach extended well beyond the coast. By about 9:30 a.m. Saturday, it had sent a long band of strong thunderstorms up the middle of Georgia. NPR, citing the Florida Public Radio Emergency Network, reported that forecasters warn tornadoes could develop far from the Gulf Coast, adding to the risk of flash flooding inland.

What is still unfolding

The death toll could change, since NPR's count of at least two reflects only confirmed deaths so far. The outage numbers have already shifted, falling from closer to 900,000 earlier Saturday to about 780,000 by midday, as crews continue restoration work.

Source: NPR